Keep The Beat
by chinesefortunecookies
Summary: Charlie got into a bike crash two weeks before the Halloween Bash, and Lemonade Mouth is in need of a drummer! But can she keep up with the beat, or more importantly, the band? And why is she thinking about Wen? WenOC T for language and teen like thinngs
1. Chapter 1

Mo's POV~

"This is NOT working!" Stella exclaimed, removing her left hand from the neck of her guitar to point at our new drummer. "And it's all her fault!" I sighed. How the heck did this all happen?

_Flashback_

_I hurried to the bathroom after Bubba dropped me off, pressuring me into more extra credit yet again. Life after Lemonade Mouth's affair in New York was not so good. I found Scott with Jules again, and I made clear with him that he would _never_ get me back after that. Obviously he was kicked out of the band as well. A couple months later, Charlie and I were practicing late, one thing led to another, and now we're something like the star couple of Mesa High. Wen and Olivia had that title, since they had gotten together shortly after our major concert. After school started, however, they broke up, deciding to go back to friends. I still don't think Wen has gotten over it, poor guy._

_Two days ago, Charlie was riding his bike to school, and he lost control and fell down a steep hill. I remember crying outside the emergency room.. He is still there, although he will be okay. He will be able to drum in about a month, since he thankfully only broke his right arm and two ribs. However the Halloween Bash is coming up in a week and a half, and we still haven't found a new drummer… If we don't soon, Brenigan will give our spot to Mudslide Crush… And we don't want that! Oh my, what are we going to do?_

_I grabbed my lip gloss out of my bag, and put my yellow cardigan in it, revealing my black camisole with a belted lilac skirt with ruffles. As I applied the product to my lips, I noticed a girl doing the same thing, only with cherry red lipstick. I recognized her from several of my AP classes; in fact she sat in front of me in AP Calculus. Her name was Jenny Dawson, I remembered, her twin brother was Mike Dawson, a linebacker for the varsity football team. She had a boyish figure with short, dyed red hair. Last year I would see her in the hallways and Ray or Jules would comment on how she looked like a lesbian. I didn't think that, in fact I thought she looked great in androgynous clothing. Today she was wearing an old bowling shirt with the name Eddy emblazoned on it with dark blue skinny jeans and old Converse._

_I went back to concentrating on my face, but my thoughts drifted back to the band's predicament. Where on earth were we going to find another drummer? I sighed, and the sound of silence ringed in my ears. A girl who had finished washing her hands left, however the sink began to leak._

_Plip, plop… plip, plop… Plip, plop… Just as I was about to turn the sink completely off, another noise filled my ears. It was Jenny; she had begun to tap her stick of eyeliner to create a beat with the watery sound. Her foot followed suit to produce a low pounding. I began to hum along with the song that she generated, when all of the sudden, a rush of déjà vu hit me. This was just like that destine day in detention, and in fact… Jenny was always tapping like this. Her foot, pencil, fingers… Could it be…?_

"_Can you drum?" I demanded, stopping the red head in her tracks. She looked at me with an odd look._

"_Uh," She started, not knowing what to say. "Look, Mo, I know you probably miss Charlie and everything, but I don't think I can fulfill your… fantasies like him-"_

"_No!" I exclaimed, a blush hitting my face. I totally did not think she would take it like that… "I mean… He can't go on stage for the Halloween Bash, and we really need a replacement drummer… So, can you?" She stared, unsure of what to say for a while. She started to shake her head, and I was afraid she was going to say no._

"_Please!" I begged, rushing toward her. "I'll help you with your Calc homework," I could tell she was struggling with it, by the few glances I took of her test grades over her shoulder. She took this into consideration, and smiled at me._

"_Fine," She agreed, and I squealed in excitement. "But! I refuse to drink more than one of those lemonades a day… Not a big fan of lemons." I smiled._

"_Of course,"_

Jenny's POV~

I entered my first Lemonade Mouth band practice nervously. I know full well how popular the band had become, and honestly, I had no idea why they were still bothering with high school. I suppose the band was a little on edge on the moment. While I didn't bother with gossip, I did overhear what had happened after they returned from New York. Between Scott and Mo, Wen and Olivia, then Mo and Charlie… I had vowed ever since I started playing drums that if I were to join a band, I would _never_ get myself in a relationship.

I went past the few rooms in the brand new music hall, and entered the enormous auditorium. Mo immediately greeted me.

"Jenny!" She yelled, pulling me into an embrace. "I was afraid you weren't going to show!"

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Mo," I laughed nervously. Truth be told, while I dressed offbeat and sometimes wore outrageous makeup, I'm incredibly self-conscious. I hear what people call me. My brother, Mike, sticks up for me, but really, we both know being called a lesbian wasn't as bad as them finding out the truth.

"We're just really desperate for a drummer is all," A male voice spoke from behind me. I turned around to face the source, and was greeted by beautiful green eyes.

Now, normally I wouldn't say this about Wen Gifford. I had a class with him when I was in middle school, and let me tell you, the kid is cocky. However, I guess puberty had been kind to him. He was still a soulless ginger, however I had to admit that the red hair looked great on him, tufts sticking out here and there. His jaw line was well defined, his pale complexion spotted with tawny freckles. He wore a light blue and orange plaid shirt half buttoned, to reveal a v-neck white tee. I recognized the red skinny jeans he often wore, before snapping out of the trance I had gotten in, afraid he'd think I was checking out his package, or something like that.

"Well, I'm not making any promises!" I let out with a breath. "I'd prefer to think of this as like… an audition. I've never actually played with other people."

"Well, let's see what you got," Stella, the new girl, challenged. I nodded, and delicately took a seat behind the drum set. I began with a simple beat on the snare, and then started to add several other beats with the bass and floor tom. If there is one thing I can brag about with my drums, it's my ability to copy a beat by sound. So I used it to my advantage, beginning to play the intro to their song "Here We Go"

Olivia quickly began to sing along, and I caught a smirk on Stella's face as she picked up her guitar to join in. Soon enough, the whole auditorium was pounded with the music I had started. At the ending of the song, I laid my drumsticks down, and let out an enormous breath. I really did that? I proud feeling swelled in my chest.

Mo and Olivia came over to me, congratulating me. "You're perfect!" Olivia proclaimed, smiling wide. "You're so going to do great at the bash!" Mo nodded furiously in agreement.

"I gotta admit-" Wen started, setting his microphone down to approach me. "You were pretty amazing. How'd you learn to do that?"

"I'm just an audio learner, I guess," I shrugged. He nodded at me, and I smiled slightly.

"Well, let's see how well you sight read," Stella said, handing me papers with messy notes all over them. "These are the tabs that Charlie made for the new song we're working on. He wrote them with his left hand, since his right one is broken, but they're… somewhat legible."

I stared down at the papers in my lap. I could barely make out anything; they just looked like scribbles a four-year-old put down. How the hell did they expect me to learn from this? I didn't even know they made tabs for drums. I glanced at the title, and I instantly feel bad for Wen. "_Moving On"_ Now I didn't know Olivia that well, but personally I would hate having to play a song that was _about_ me. I stole a glance at the boy, and I could see a flush on his face as he scratched the back of his head, almost ashamed.

"Well, um," I began hesitantly, but was cut off by the trouble making teen.

"Practice it at home, and we will see how it is tomorrow," She smiled at me. I couldn't tell if she was trying to be mean or was just that dense to other people's emotions. Judging by her band mate's exasperated expressions, however, she assumed it was the latter. I sighed, and stood up to get my bag and leave. The group had already begun to shuffle out, lifting their mascot drink into the air. I watched them leave, and wondered if anyone could ever fit in in such a close-knit group of friends. I went back to staring at the messy papers, and exhaled deeply.

What had I gotten myself into?

**A/N: Well, that's the first chapter. I feel it should be mentioned that I LOVED OliviaxWen in the movie, but the OC just kind of came to me. To go with the theme of the movie, Jen does have some issues with herself, although they're not as family-centric as the other characters seem to have. She is NOT a replacement for Charlie by any means, so please don't think that's what I am doing. And if you're looking for a story where the original character fits in right away, lets just say this isn't for you… Hope you enjoyed it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the second chapter, obviously **

**To my lovely reviewers: **

**Woo: Thanks! I plan on writing some yummy CharlieMo scenes soon. I mean, how could she pick Scott over someone as adorable as him?**

**DaCupCakePhiles: ****Glad you like it so far! Wow, I didn't even realize the whole rhyming names! I'll try to call her Jenny from now on most of the time. And as for her and Wen... what kind of WenOC story would it be without them getting together at some point? ;)**

Jen's POV~

I threw my drumsticks to the ground. "Damn it, this isn't working!" I yelled, exasperated. I had been trying to interpret Charlie's notes for hours. It was impossible! All I had gotten were a few beats, and I got the impression that it was an upbeat song. However I could not understand the rest, and it began to get frustrating. I jumped out of my drum chair and went upstairs to get a drink of water. As I filled a glass with water from the refrigerator, Mike came down from upstairs.

Mike is, according to most girls I meet, a Greek God of sorts. He has naturally blonde hair and sea blue eyes. He worked out every day so his figure was very built, and he never had a problem with the ladies. I can't even tell you how many girls have come up to me crying because my twin broke her heart. The real him, however, is a total dork. He has a hidden corner in the basement where he keeps all of his Star Wars junk. We tell each other everything, and sometimes, we don't even need to say a word.

"What's up, flapjack?" He nudged me, using his nickname for me. I sighed.

"Not much, hot cake," I responded back, settling myself on the stool in front of the island we had in the kitchen. He sat next to me, and we faced each other. "It's just… You know Mo Banjaree?" He nodded. "Well, she asked me to be a temporary substitute for Charlie, since he's in the hospital. But, I'm having trouble reading the notes he made for their new song."

"Didn't they give you something else to work with?" He asked, his brow furrowed.

"Nah, that Stella chick just told me to practice it at home, but how am I going to do that when the person who wrote the notes wrote them with their left hand?" I threw my hands up in the air, and my brother laughed at me.

"Don't get too worked up about it!" He assured me, and put his hand on my shoulder. "Remember, when times get tough, just keep swimming."

A twinge of pain entered my body, as I remembered when he first used that phrase. However I reminded myself he only said it to make me feel better, so I gave him a weak smile. "Thanks hot cake" I grinned, and he ruffled my short hair, getting out of his seat.

"Now get to bed, okay? It's almost 11, and you don't want to be drumming when dad gets home, he'll have a fit." He reminded me. I smirked in return.

"Let's just hope he doesn't catch you with your latest girlfriend- what's her name this time? Savannah? Santana?"

"It's Samantha," He laughed, ascending the stairs. "And don't you think it's about time for _you_ to get a boyfriend?" And with that he left.

I sat there in the kitchen for a couple minutes, mulling over what all Mike had just told me. I decided to skip homework and go to bed, since my body was tired. My mind had other plans, it seemed, since I kept tossing and turning for hours.

What if this was just a huge mistake? I really want to be friends with them, at the very least so I could have good friends, not just people I say hi to in the hallways. But they're very, very close. I suppose that's what happens when you're in a band? And besides, it's not like I'm sticking around. They'll drop me as soon as Charlie can drum again.

My thoughts are interrupted by a high-pitched squeal from Mike's room. He was probably trying to tickle the girl so they could make out. He always uses that move. I smirked and turned to my side facing away from his room. I thought about what he said earlier, about getting a boyfriend. I hadn't dated since freshman year, two years ago. He was a senior, and all he wanted was sex. I would never give him what he wanted, so he dumped me. After that I've been content with just being single. Not a whole lot of guys caught my interest anyway.

Eventually my mind finally went to rest, and I embraced a dreamless sleep.

Stella's POV~

Ah, the sweet smell of tofu bacon in the morning! I let the smell enter my nostrils while I turned over said bacon on the skillet. The sound of Lemonade Mouth pounded in my ears; it was the only thing I would listen to nowadays. It was a great mood booster, to listen to what all my band and I had created. And when the days had seemed our hardest, what with Charlie in the hospital, we got a breath of fresh air. The girl Mo had found, Jenny, seemed promising. Even I had to admit that her drumming was great, which I don't often do. However she still needs to learn the new song we are working on, and her face when I gave her Charlie's notes was not happy.

"Stella?" A voice almost yelled into my ear, and I jumped up, taking my headphones out of my ears. I turned around to face my mother, who looked less than excited.

"Whoa, mom!" I exclaimed, setting my tofu-covered spatula down. "What's with the face?" She exhaled, and I knew I was pushing her buttons.

"I just want to make sure you know the time. I'm leaving the house in five minutes, whether or not you're in the car." She walked away, her heels clacking on the linoleum floor.

I stood there pouting for a second before reinserting my earphones and playing a few chords of "Breakthrough" on my air guitar, substituted by my spatula.

I stuffed the fake meat in my mouth and quickly got my bag and guitar case to leave. I just barely got out the door before mom was out the driveway.

"Mom!" I screamed, running to the silver car. I then muttered under my breath, "Jeez, woman, calm down!"

I opened the door and put my stuff in the back seat. As I sat down in the passenger seat mom asked, "Are you ever going to be on time?"

"Nahh," I shrugged, grinning at her. "Wouldn't wanna surprise ya, mom!" She sighed, keeping her eyes on the road. I proceeded to listen to my creations, tapping my foot with the beat.

What sort of adventures would I have today? Let's see where it goes!

Jen's POV~

I ran into the Mesa High school doors with little time to spare. Mike and I both overslept and we rushed to get to school on time. I doubt Brenigan wouldn't give a varsity football player detention, but his nobody twin? Let's just say I ran a couple more red lights then I'd like to admit.

I turned the corner sharply, and found myself knocking into none other than Wen Gifford himself. I fell to the ground, along with most of his papers.

"Shit!" I exclaimed, picking up the stuff he had loose. "I am so, so sorry, Wen!" He bent down to help me pick things up.

"No, it's not a problem," He assured me, grabbing the last pencil that had went astray. We both began to lift our heads. "I shouldn't have-"

He stopped suddenly, and we were both looking at each other. My blue eyes searched his quizzically, my mind blank of all thoughts. I have no idea how long we stood there, frozen, but it was obviously too long, and the tardy bell rang, signaling my obvious detention.

"Uh, bye Jenny!" Wen said apologetically, and he sprinted to his first block. I looked back at his retreating figure.

"Bye… Wen," I whispered. I stood there lost before running to my AP Biology class. I almost got to the door before I heard the sound of a motor behind me.

"Miss Dawson!" Principal Brenigan called, and I stopped in my tracks, groaning. I turned around to face the vile man.

"I'm so sorry sir, I promise this will never happen again!" I begged, sucking up with no regrets. I had no desire to spend my afternoon in detention, what with homework, and now band practice.

"I'm sure it won't, since I am giving you-" He started, and he began to write on the pink slip pad on his Segway. Seriously, who does that? Mo cut him off, however.

"A get out of jail free card?" She tried, coming up from behind me. "You see Principal Brenigan, Jenny and I were practicing a few songs for the Halloween Bash. She's our new drummer!" She smiled sweetly at him. I stared at her wide eyed, and looked back at Brenigan. He was nodding, and patted me on the shoulder.

"Well then, I'll let you off with a warning… Jenny," He smiled at me. Okay, this is so weird.

"T-thank you so much Principal Brenigan!" I let out, but on the inside I was thinking _'What the HELL is going on here?'_

The man just nodded at me, and whirled off on his scooter. I exhaled a huge breath of air.

"Thanks, Mo!" I said. "I can't afford detention right now!" She smiled at me.

"Not a problem!" She replied, opening the door for Bio. I entered the room in a haze that pretty much lasted the rest of the day.

_Later that day_

I'm not sure why, but I expected lunch to be different, now that I'm "with the band." I was quickly corrected, however, because when I went over with my burger, they were chatting away, and took no notice of me. With my spirits only slightly dropped, I ambled to the back of the cafeteria, where I usually sat. Tonie, my best friend of sorts, was there, and he nodded his head toward me to say hi.

Tonie is definitely not what you would call a 'closeted' gay. Today, he was dressed in a royal purple button up shirt, tucked into black slacks with what I'm sure were Gucci shoes. Next to him was a black jacket with what looked like feathers on the shoulders. I sat down gingerly on the seat across from him.

"Girl, sometimes I really wonder about you," He started, and I rolled my eyes. Here comes the lecture about my fashion choices. "Why do you insist on wearing boys clothes, when you have such a rocking figure? Sweetie, we both know you can rock a skirt better than any chick out here, so why don't you?" I sighed.

"Cause! Just cause I can show off doesn't mean I should," I smirked. "You're just jealous that I can get away with wearing the opposite sexes clothes."

"In fact I am-" He started, but was interrupted by a pair of girls flocking over to him.

"Oh my god, Tonie, will you go costume shopping with us, please?" One screeched, her too short skirt bouncing up and down with her. He opened his mouth to reply, but the other brunette cut him off.

"Yeah, would you? We could totally use your expertise!" She said the last word like she had just read it out of a thesaurus. Tonie looked at me desperately before finally replying.

"Sorry ladies, this piece of action has got other plans this weekend," He said, winking. The girls groaned in disappointment before leaving. Tonie turned back to face me, and I knew what was coming. "Honestly, what the hell is wrong with women these days? Okay, yes, I am gay- and quite fabulous, let's admit it- but that does _not_ mean I want to go shopping with your dumb ass!" He huffed, an adorable pout on his lips. I laughed.

"Maybe you shouldn't dress so fashionably then," I suggested, and he through a fry at me.

"As if!" He responded, and proceeded to talk about the new kid at school, who he was convinced was gay.

As he talked, I found myself spacing out, thinking about other things. How was the band going to take it when they found out I had made practically no progress on the song they had given me? I glanced over to them, joking around to each other. It looked like Wen had said something funny, since the other three girls were laughing. Olivia had her hand covering her mouth, and a weird feeling entered my body. It felt like… jealousy. Oh god, what is happening to me?

**A/N: Anybody know what the sound guy with the curly hairs name is? I want to include him in the next chapter but can't hear is name anywhere for the life of me… Anyway hope you enjoyed reading! **


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